CTO mission on Broadband Strategy holds working sessions with stakeholders By Abdul Kuyateh The first in-country mission of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) on the development and implementation of CTO funded National Broadband Strategy for Sierra Leone last Friday concluded a three-day working session with Sierra Leone’s telecoms regulatory body, the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM), operators and Internet Service Providers. The 50, 000 Euros CTO grant for a National Broadband Strategy will enable the country to derive socio-economic benefits of broadband connectivity. Welcoming the two-man CTO project team in the conference room of NATCOM last Tuesday, the newly appointed Chairman, Board of Commissioners, Dr Tom Obaleh Kargbo thanked the CTO for showing interest in the development of ICTs in the country, and assured of the Commission’s unflinching commitment in realizing the goals of the project. Dr. Kargbo noted with dismay the dismal internet penetration of 1.3 % in an average of 15.6 in Africa, and underscored the need to connect large un-served and under-served areas of the country. He disclosed that there is no national broadband policy in the country, and that the broadband strategy could be included in the national ICT Policy. Deputy Director-General of NATCO, Senessie Kallon noted the tremendous drive in infrastructure and the abundant availability of the international bandwidth, adding “that the challenge now remains the middle and last mile on the supply side.” He said there is an urgent need to harmonize the plethora of ICT projects in the country, to enhance economies of scale. In his remarks, CTO Consultant, D. David Townsend, said he was struck by the friendliness of the people in Sierra Leone. He said there are boundless opportunities to explore what needs to be done and or can be done. He said he was impressed with improvement in the speed of the internet, compared to the last time he visited the country in 2011 on the Access Gap Study, describing it as “seconds versus hours”. In his Power Point Presentation, Dr. Townsend gave an insight into broadband strategy, describing it as a document with “shared objectives, plans and actions to promote widespread access and use of ICTs; and integrated initiatives across multiple sectors and stakeholders.” He said the strategy follows an activist approach with specific targets, as against the policy, which provides the general framework. Other aspects captured in his presentation included broadband ecosystem approach, role and activities of the Steering Committee, and the modus operandi of the Working Groups. Earlier, Dr. Townsend observed the non-attendance of the Ministry of Information and Communications, being a key actor in the project.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 20:05:06 +0000
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